5/30
Mukuro had just sat down at her desk when her attention was quickly gained by two girls talking nearby.
"You hear about that second-year?" a girl with light brown hair in a bun asked her friend.
"Oh yeah! Right as I was coming in they were talking about it!" the other girl, one with long dark hair let down her shoulders exclaimed. "They apparently found her laying in front of the school gate this morning! What could have happened to her?!"
"Don't know! Hopefully she just ran away from home, but... I feel like this might be the start of something big," the first girl said.
"There's bound to be reporters and camera crews and stuff," the second girl said. "Honestly, I'd rather not deal with that..."
Mukuro's brow furrowed in curiosity at them as the bell suddenly rang, causing them to wrap things up and go to their seats.
A girl found unconscious in front of the school gate? she thought to herself as she took out her notebook to get ready for class. ...Weird...
"You hear about that girl from 2-E?" another girl asked her friend as the two entered class.
"Yeah, I hear they have no idea what happened! It's so bizarre!" her friend said in a hushed tone.
"Man, everyone's talkin' about it!" Junpei suddenly said behind her, causing Mukuro to turn.
"Seems like it," she replied, folding her arms.
"People sure got a lotta time on their hands, don't they?" he asked, leaning against his own desk next to hers.
"A girl going missing when she went out late last night," Mukuro said. "...Then she's found this morning unconscious in front of the school gate? I guess it makes for a hot topic."
"Yeah, no one knows what coulda happened to her but she's apparently still in a coma!" Junpei explained.
"Morning!" Yukari called out to them as she came over upon entering the class.
"Sup, Yuka-tan?" Junpei asked with a smirk. "...I gotta say, this has been a pretty tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective!" he stated dramatically, but only getting an unimpressed scoff from Yukari.
"Ace Detective? You're so dumb," she asked, facepalming. "...More like "Stupei, Ace Defective!"
"Where the hell'd THAT come from?!" Junpei protested indignantly.
"...I do recall hearing you crying in your room after we got our exam scores," Mukuro said.
"You came up to my door?!" Junpei asked.
"No, actually, I could hear you from down the hallway," Mukuro explained. "...You got pretty loud but I didn't want to disturb you."
"Uhhh, changing subjects, I don't recall seein' you at all this mornin' till just now, Yuka-tan!" Junpei replied hastily. "Where've you been?"
"I was actually talking to the teacher," Yukari explained. "That girl they found? I saw her yesterday on my way back from practice. It's weird, because she seemed just fine, then."
"Huh, so the plot thickens," Junpei mused, stroking his chin in thought.
"May be Apathy Syndrome? Mukuro offered, "...But it doesn't explain what she was doing here."
"Yeah, like that's the other weird part," replied Yukari. "Why would she even be all the way out here so late at night?"
"I overheard a student say they people thought she ran away from home, but why here of all places and why that late?" Mukuro asked.
The next bell rang.
"Looks like we'll have to look into it later," Mukuro sighed as she saw Ms. Toriyumi come in ready to start class, the young soldier's thoughts on the gossip surrounding the strange incident for the remainder of the day at school.
Mukuro cocked her head in curiosity as she ordered takoyaki at the strip mall's restaurant for dinner, noticing the girl from school, Seiko Kimura, had just come up, though she wasn't ordering anything nor addressing her, but rather, seemed to be waiting for someone.
"Oh... hello," Mukuro said, deciding to get her attention. The other girl squeaked in alarm before turning to face her, still wearing her strange, studded gray surgical mask over the lower half of her face.
"Oh! Um, hi, Mukuro!" she said with a quick bow. "H-How've you been? No more problems with Edogawa-san, I hope?"
Mukuro gave a faint smile. "None to report," she said. "...Doesn't look like you're here to order, you waiting on somebody?"
"Yeah, I am. He should be along soon," Seiko replied. "If you see a guy in a striped shirt, let me know. He said he'd be here by now."
Mukuro looked around, one guy did stand out in particular. Tall but rail-thin, wearing a striped shirt and pajama bottoms and pausing briefly as she noticed he didn't seem to be all that well given his pale complexion. His hair color was no better being notably faded and just touched his shoulders as he finally turned and spotted them, coming over.
As he came closer, Mukuro noticed he was much younger then she'd initially thought, probably close to their age.
"K-Kamiki-san! Hi!" Seiko's face lit up despite it being partially covered by a mask and her hair's fringe. "How've you been? Do you need to sit down?"
"Well as can be expected, and no, I'm fine, really!" the boy, Kamiki chuckled lightly, despite looking out of breath. Seiko's expression promptly began to fall.
"Sorry, you know I'm just... worried for you is all..."
"Don't waste your worries on me, Kimura-san, you got plenty on your plate at school, don't you?" Kamiki asked, attempting a smile.
"It... doesn't m-mean I can't worry for you, too!" Seiko protested, though still looking down at the pavement a moment before glancing back up at him.
"Well, anyway, I finished up your..." She noticed the boy's slight frown as his eyes flickered to Mukuro, who she remembered was standing right there that he didn't want her sharing too much between them. "...You know. Just remember only twice a day, alright? It should help with the... um, grogginess."
Mukuro tilted her head slightly in curiosity, but said nothing as Seiko fished a small bottle from her purse and handed it to the boy, who gave a grateful smile.
"Thanks so much, Sei-chan! You're the best!" he said, chuckling, though his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Yeah, just be careful, okay?" the other girl asked, anxiously.
"Aren't I always? Heh, sorry for being so impolite, Miss. Pleasure to meet you, too!" the boy said, giving Mukuro a bow. "Akinari Kamiki."
"Mukuro Ikusaba," Mukuro gave a bow of her own.
"So you know Sei-chan, here? It's nice to see her have a real friend, unlike..." The boy's words were interrupted by a brief coughing fit he hurriedly turned away and covered his mouth for before he went quiet a moment noticing Seiko's discomfort. "...Sorry, Sei-Chan. A pleasure meeting you, though, Ikusaba-san. Let me also apologize we couldn't meet in better circumstances. I need to be getting home..."
"A-Aki-kun, you... r-really shouldn't have come out here to meet me, you know, I could have just brought it over!" Seiko offered.
"Nah, don't need you troubling yourself over me," the boy said, managing another smile, though weaker then the last as he stifled another cough, pocketing the bottle. "...Anyway, I better go! I'll let you know how it does, alright?"
Mukuro noticed Seiko's lingering stare at the boy's retreating form as he departed, but the other girl remained quiet.
"Um... Ikusaba-san?"
"Hm?" The young soldier raised a brow.
"I guess it's okay I say it because it must've been pretty obvious, right?" the other girl asked, still anxious. "H-He's... not well. Like... it makes him very groggy he can barely get up so I supply him with a home-brewed remedy that helps him get through the day. He's real nice, just... he doesn't like it when people worry about him."
"I see," Mukuro looked down noticing she'd not touched her dinner yet. It seemed Seiko, despite her friend's wishes, was still very concerned about him.
The sound of glass shattering echoed in the recesses of her mind, then, as the other girl hugged herself in worry.
"Here." Mukuro took an extra toothpick from the counter of the takoyaki stand and tabbed one of the octopus balls in her tray, offering it to her. "You like takoyaki, right?"
"Oh! S-So long as it's not sweets, b-but I couldn't! Th-those are yours!" Seiko protested nervously.
"I insist. You look like you've been really stressed all day."
"No, really, I-I'm fine," Seiko exclaimed, before sighing a little. "...I suppose one's okay. Thank you, Ikusaba..."
The girl accepted the food and turned away, using one hand to tug down her mask and the other to quickly take a bite. "It's good, wonder what goes in it?" she asked with a slight, nervous laugh, her visible eye closed but Mukuro could still suspect she'd made the other girl smile. "Well, I should be heading home, myself. You have a safe trip back, too, okay?"
Mukuro nodded as she and Seiko parted ways and she made her way back to the dorm for the evening.
5/31
Sunday had come, and from the looks of things Mukuro's week was going to begin with another session on Innocent Sin Online as she'd found she'd gotten an email from "MARY" that she'd be playing today. No sooner had she logged in, she found the familiar avatar, a "toon", MARY had called it, of a brunette schoolgirl in a gray uniform that promptly approached her.
[Ginko! Hiiiiiiii :D] MARY messaged.
[Hey.] Mukuro replied.
[Awwwz, IC mbr?] MARY answered.
[Mary! Hi! Missed u!] Mukuro typed, shaking her head. Acting all peppy still felt weird to her but it was a game.
MARY's toon laughed on the screen.
[Aw, thnx! OOH! Got a surprise 4 u!] MARY responded.
[Just 1 sec :) ]
Mukuro's brow raised as MARY stood idle for a few moments on the screen.
[?] Mukuro messaged, deciding to break the awkward silence.
[He's almost done! will b here in just a moment!] MARY stated a few seconds after.
[That's more then 1 second] Mukuro typed.
[Heyyyyyy B nice! Been sooooo excited 4 this!] MARY answered.
A moment later, an avatar of a highschooler with another gray uniform and dark hair walked in and waved.
[Sup. U the noob Mary told me about? ;) ] he asked. His username above indicated his name as "NAOYA". Mukuro suspected the "emoticon" as MARY had referred to was to show he was not trying to offend her.
She prepared to reply when she remembered something. Right.
[Hiiii! Name's Ginko! Charmed I'm sure!] Mukuro replied, making her blonde toon do a victory sign.
[Haha. Pleasure. Call me Naoya. Mary told me u guyz were dungeon grinding a bunch.] the male avatar "NAOYA" replied.
[Made this alt toon ystrday so I'm not too OP for you when Mary asked I join 2day.]
[I'm just happy ur here! We don't get 2 play as much now!] MARY messaged.
[Sry. Will try 2 make time.] NAOYA said.
[Well, now that we're all here, we got a night club to investigate!] MARY answered.
Mukuro smirked and made her GINKO toon pump its fists as they made their way to the designated night club area which housed an "event instance" or dungeon as MARY called it together that awaited, hours passing by like minutes.
[Bye Naoya! C U irl agin soon I hope?] MARY asked.
[Haha. We'll C :P] NAOYA replied before his toon waved farewell and vanished, leaving MARY and Mukuro's own toon alone outside the gates of the game's high school zone.
[Wow! Beat lotsa demons, trashed every boss along teh way! Ur fast lrnr, Ginko-chan!] MARY messaged, her toon giggling.
[Just shame its sunday, got school 2morrow.] MARY added.
[Likewise.] Mukuro answered.
[Sux only 1 day off T_T] MARY vented.
[At least exams over but STILL!] she added.
From the looks of it, Mukuro assessed, MARY was likely someone close to her age.
[How'd u do?] Mukuro asked.
[Did ok I guess, bettr then last year. Composition class is Merciless Mode. MayB Bcuz I game too much lol] MARY replied.
[U play games a lot?] Mukuro messaged next. She knew Junpei certainly spent a lot of his evenings playing his handheld device when he wasn't playing one connected to his TV in his dorm room rather then any kind of studying.
Granted, Mitsuru seemed to feel Mukuro herself could stand to study more, as well, given her own exam scores.
[YUS! TONS! Classmates say I'm best they know, but idk Naoya's super-tier.] MARY answered.
It was then, however, MARY surprised Mukuro when her toon performed a weeping action.
[But theres more 2 life thn gaming. idk what 2 do when I graduate T_T] she messaged.
[Naoya's 2 yrs older, ronin but reeeeeeal gud w/computers! Wish I could be. Like him lots but little jealous.] she added.
[#O_O# EEP! DON'T TELL HIM!] MARY's very hasty following message read.
[Ur secret's safe with me.] Mukuro replied.
[IC, Ginko ;p] Mary replied, seemingly trying to cheer herself back up.
The young soldier rolled her eyes and smirked, deciding to humor her online friend.
[Wut r friends 4, Mary? I won't tell a soul promise! ;P] she replied.
[LOL thnx. MayB thats why I'm unmotivated for anything else r/n.] MARY responded.
Mukuro read MARY's message a few times, over and over, as thoughts of her time in Fenrir came to mind, but she was unsure what she could say that'd make her feel better, but decided to try, regardless as she began typing.
[I think I get it.] she said.
[Oh?]
[Don't know what I'll do either. Hoping this year might give me ideas.] Mukuro added.
[Hm. Maybe it can 4 me too! sry 4 boring life info dump, Ginko! XD] MARY answered.
Seemed, Mukuro deduced, MARY was centering around distracting herself or just indulging in one thing she felt she was good at and worried about her future, behind her peppy demeanor she put during gameplay.
The sound of glass shattering echoed within Mukuro's mind as she thought about how MARY had opened up to her today.
[OH! SRY for keeping u! g2g, dinner time!] MARY messaged.
[C U school, Ginko! ^_^]
[You too, Mary!] Mukuro replied as she signed off and closed her laptop, deciding dinner may be a good idea after all before she did an evening exercise regimen to fill out the remainder of the evening.
6/1
With the start of summer, the students at Gekkoukan had changed uniforms, Mukuro now having switched to a white short-sleeved blouse and white kneesocks and simple loafers, and choosing to cover her Fenrir tattoo with makeup all the time rather then wear her fingerless gloves when at school so her hands could breathe more.
As she approached the gates, however, she heard Mitsuru call to her from behind, causing her to turn.
"Ikusaba, good morning," the older student said as she approached, wearing the same white short-sleeve blouse instead of the usual longsleeve one, now. "I take it you noticed how restless the students have gotten, lately?"
"The rumor mill is really running, lately, isn't it?" the young soldier asked.
"Indeed. Ever since they found that girl by the gates the other morning, it's gotten very chaotic," the redhead explained. "...As student president, I've had my hands tied trying to figure out what's been going on so it could die down a little."
"Apathy Syndrome?" Mukuro offered, recalling her past conversation with Junpei and Yukari.
"I've weighed that possibility, yes," said Mitsuru. "To be honest, though, it not having anything to do with Shadows would actually come off as a relief by comparison. I'd also found out Yukari had spoken with a teacher from the girl's class and asked her what she might know."
"Hm?" Mukuro's brow raised in curiosity.
"She was a little avoidant, but I got it out of her that she saw the girl prior with a friend having apparently been bullying someone," Mitsuru pinched her chin in thought. "...I wonder if it might be connected, somehow. Someone taking revenge, or something else entirely... in a worse case scenario."
"Shadows are drawn to negative emotions, right?" Mukuro asked.
"They are, indeed... which worries me on what the connection might be," Mitsuru said. "...Furthermore, while Akihiko did mention we may receive a new member, we don't know when we could be attacked, so I can't put it all on that, either."
"Anything you need me to do, then?"
"Just remain on alert, for now," Mitsuru answered. "Junpei supposedly has a big idea he didn't specify to me but we'll see where that goes, I suppose. At any rate, you'd best head on to class. I'll see you later, Ikusaba."
Mukuro watched as Mitsuru headed inside, glancing once more around the courtyard at the many gossiping students before heading inside, herself.
Finishing the bento she'd bought at the mall, Mukuro entered the dormitory to find everyone seated at the dinner table.
"Good, you're back!" Junpei said with a grin as he waved her over, prompting Mukuro to join the group. "First thing's first, Yuka-tan, have you been checking out the student message boards about our little mystery?"
Yukari, shook her head. "I did, but nothing we didn't already know was there."
Her response, however, did not net disappointment from the boy, Mukuro noticed, rather, he seemed quite proud.
"Well, Junpei Iori, Ace Detective, carried out his big plan and it went off without any snags!" Junpei declared proudly.
"Umm... what did you do, exactly?" Yukari asked.
"Well, you know how the girl they found in front of the gate unconscious last week was from Class 2-E?" he asked with a smirk, "Well, I simply sought out and asked the one person in that classroom who I figured hard to be the most on top of somethin' THAT freaky!" Junpei clenched his fist and thrust it proudly. "None other then the Paranormal and Occult Studies club prez, Natsumi Kuzuryu!"
Yukari sighed. "I dunno what's harder to believe, that she'd know anything or that you approached her without wanting to wet yourself," she muttered.
"Hey, it was my big idea and I was on an important mission!" Junpei said indignantly. "...Well, okay she did ask rather sarcastically if I needed tutoring then said that'd do nothing for me, but between where I got past that prickly exterior and her telling me to... "eff off" in polite terms due to a headache she was having, she shared what she'd compiled together so far from the rumor mill!"
"She didn't want to bring it up with me, a member, first?" Mukuro asked, cocking her head.
"Eh, I actually asked about that and she said she'll save that for when she's got somethin' more concrete, but here's what I got!" Junpei began, slowly bringing up his hands dramatically. "...From what she's gathered, she wonders if it's gotta do with an angry spirit from this one ghost story her predecessor believed in that may actually be real after all!"
Yukari looked less impressed then before, and Mukuro noted neither Mitsuru nor Akihiko looked particularly sold, either, and Natsumi didn't seem like much of a believer in the occult but maybe accidentally catching the monorail's displacement had opened her mind a little.
"C'mon, no one actually believes that old story... right?" Yukari asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice on the last word.
"I can't say I've heard of it," Mitsuru said. "What's this ghost story about, exactly?"
"S-Senpai, it's probably ju-ust... made up!" Yukari replied hastily. "We don't need to go into any details, do we?!"
"I, for one, am interested," Akihiko said, looking up from his seat and folding his arms.
"As am I," Mukuro said. "She's never told me about it, so go on and tell us."
Yukari's uneasy whimper went ignored by the rest of the group.
"Well, to be fair, she didn't believe it back then, but now... well, she shared it all!" Junpei said with a big grin as he made his way over to the light switches. "Sooooo... you got it!"
With a simple flick, the room went dark, and with another, a flashlight now gripped in Junpei's hand aimed upward so that it shined under his face like a child would do while telling a spooky campfire story.
"Gooooood evening, and welcome to Junpei's "Believe It, or Don't!", he announced in a low, ominous tone as he approached the table again. "...There are many strange things in the world, and legend has it, late at night, after everyone has gone home... a maniacal ghost roams the halls and devours the mind and soul of anyone caught in its grasp!" he narrated, slowly raising his other hand in a claw-like formation and slowly reaching towards the teens seated before him. "It was only by the dedicated hand of the club's previous president, one Gundham Tanaka, and his devotion to the occult arts, that kept it at bay... UNTIL NOW!"
Yukari, from what Mukuro could tell in the darkness of the lounge, was on the edge of her seat already. The young soldier, herself, however, folded her arms.
"Junpei?" she asked.
"Mmmyesssss?" the boy asked with an attempted sinister sneer, staring at her with a wide, ghastly stare, getting a facepalm from the girl.
"How is this supposed to be scary for us considering what we've already faced ever since joining SEES?" she asked.
"Mmmmm good question... but don't interrupt again!" Junpei declared, attempting to stay in-character. "Now... to corroborate this terrifying tale told by a terrifying girl, a friend of mine, whom we shall call "Witness A", he said to me... "Hey, Iori, I saw somethin' weird the other day!"," he explained, bringing the flashlight a little closer under his chin. "...He sounded so serious, so I asked him what he'd seen!"
He let his words sink a moment for dramatic effect in his self-made one-man show.
"...He told me... that he saw the girl from 2-E, and claims he watched her go into the school on the night before the incident!" he narrated, raising his voice on the last words before slouching forward. "...I told him... "I don't believe it! Not for a second! That girl from 2-E ain't the type to go wanderin' about at night!" he chuckled before his face went serious again. "...But Witness A was white as a sheet! He swore to me it... was... true! Then, that's when it hit me!"
The boy's face then went in an instant from serious to terrified. "...If the girl was found unconscious at the school, then it's as Kuzuryu said the story goes, whether she truly believes it... or doesn't... it must mean the ghost really DID make the poor girl its dinner!" he stated. "..."It all makes sense, though, doesn't it?" I asked her when I found her again at the end of the day. "The girl went to the school late at night, and walked right into its deadly trap!"," he explained. "I felt a chill down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat! She didn't specify why, but deep down under a snide remark at my terrified state, it seemed certain, then, she did... indeed... believe me!"
Junpei returned to where the switches were, raising his free hand as though to saw the air with it. "...Yes, we do indeed live in some truly strange times, with strange things in this world... believe it, or don't!"
"...So, what do you think, Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked, not even missing a beat or showing any particular response to what Junpei had just shared as soon as the lights were flicked back on.
"Hm, not so interested in the ghost part, but I do think it's worth investigating," Akihiko said with a smirk.
"Aw, c'mon! Nothin' about my performance?" Junpei whined in disbelief. "...How 'bout you, Yuka-tan? You scared'a ghosts? Didn't think you were so chicken!"
"Who do you think you're calling chicken, Stupei!" Yukari protested, slamming her hands angrily on the table with an enraged scowl on her face. "Fine, then! We'll investigate it! Each of us can ask around for the rest of the week to find information and I'll prove this ghost story's nothing but nonsense!"
Mitsuru gave a light chuckle at Yukari's outburst. "Sounds good to me, honestly the story is a bit unnerving, though, isn't it?"
"We'll leave it up to you three. It'd be waaaaay to scary for me!" Akihiko teased playfully.
Yukari was immediately cringing at what she'd gotten herself into.
"I'll talk to Kuzuryu," Mukuro said, rising from her seat. "She knows me best, and maybe between when Junpei saw her and tomorrow she'll have something she can share with me. You two can ask around and check the message boards."
Yukari nodded, still unnerved. "Yeah, heh, a ghost story? That's all it is, right? Nothing real!"
Mukuro raised a brow at her. "After our trips into Tartarus this scares you, Yukari?"
"W-Well anything like that only happens in the Dark Hour and that I can fight! This, though..." Yukari whimpered to herself a little.
"I was discussing it with Ikusaba this morning, actually," Mitsuru said. "The Dark Hour could be responsible as we still know very little about it, but we'll need more information before we know for sure and can determine exactly what and how if it is, and if indeed it is the case, perhaps it's something we can do something about."
"Make no mistake! I'll do my best on this!" Yukari said sharply. "We can bring our findings together at the end of the week!"
Akihiko smirked and nodded.
"Sounds like a plan, then!"
"...Good evening," a familiar young male voice spoke, Mukuro's eyes snapping open to an equally familiar dull, sickly green light that filled her darkened bedroom as her hand promptly fished her knife from under her pillow and unsheathed it, tip pointed at the strange young boy who'd visited her in the Dark Hour before.
The girl's brow furrowed at him as she quietly re-sheathed the knife and slid it back under the pillow. "...What do you want?" she asked, turning to her side in her bed to look at him.
"I'm back, just as I promised!" the boy said with a gentle smile. "I needed to visit you again, how have you been?" he asked, joining his hands behind his back and swaying a bit on his slippered feet as he watched Mukuro intently.
"As well as can be," Mukuro muttered, not particularly thrilled at being disturbed from her sleep.
"That's good," the boy chuckled, before his face grew serious. "...Try and stay well, because within a week, the moon will be full again. The next ordeal will be upon you, so be careful."
"...Ordeal, you mean another of those powerful Shadows?" Mukuro asked, her gaze flickering over to her calendar.
"...I can't say for sure," the boy replied, frowning, now.
"That's not very helpful at all, you know," Mukuro scowled, glaring at the boy, now. To her surprise, the boy seemed taken aback by her harsh demeanor.
"...That's not very nice, I apologize I don't know more," he said. "Just... do be careful. The only other thing I can sense is this ordeal will be greater then the last, so please be ready when it comes..."
Mukuro watched as the boy vanished in a puff of black smoke, leaving her alone in the bedroom once more under the Dark Hour's oppressive green moonlight.
6/2
"I don't recall saying club was today, Ikusaba," Natsumi Kuzuryu uttered dryly, brow raised at the dark-haired girl standing before her desk in 2-E.
"Well, we are the Paranormal and Occult Studies club, doesn't that mean we should be on top of what everyone's talking about?" Mukuro asked.
"I already told that overgrown primate everything I knew when he bugged me about it the other day," the blonde retorted. "You guys live in the same dorm, right? I'm sure he's told you what I said by now, plus what his friend told him... not sure what's harder to believe, the alibi or that he's got a friend circle with how he acts." She placed her elbow on her desk, resting her chin in her palm. "...So whaddya wanna know?"
"Well, I did hear his story, I wondered if maybe you found out anything else in the meantime?" Mukuro asked, folding her arms.
Natsumi's eyes darted around, her harsh emerald glare briefly lingering on a girl with long dark hair and one with short red hair and a camera around her neck before glancing back up at Mukuro. "...The usual room. Let's go."
Soon as they were in the classroom saved for the club, Natsumi drew down the shades and turned to face Mukuro, folding her arms. "...Okay, I guess he mentioned I heard about an old ghost story, that the place is haunted by a vengeful spirit. Mostly just something from the last club president's instructions. Word is this girl, her name's Maki, she came by the school the other night for some reason but was..."
"...Found comatose that following morning?" Mukuro asked.
"So you heard that, too," Natsumi said. "Apathy Syndrome, probably. That shit's been happening a lot again, lately."
"She's in your class, right? Was there anything strange going on with her before then?" Mukuro asked next, getting an amused sneer from the blonde.
"My, aren't we the little detective, today!" she chuckled. "First Junpei and now you, what's this all about, anyway?"
"I'm... curious, I guess," Mukuro lied.
"BULL-FUCKING-SHIT!" Natsumi snapped, slamming her hand on the nearest desk and leaning forward, though Mukuro only flinched slightly in surprise at her unexpected and abrupt outburst. "C'mon, what the hell are you two trying to figure out here? First we got teleporting monorails, now this?! Something's going on and I'm beginning to suspect you guys are trying to solve it, too!"
"Calm down, Natsumi, I just wanted to know if anything weird went on with your classmate before then, she was from 2-E as well, right?" Mukuro said in an icy tone, Natsumi paused, surprised by the other girl's resolve, and gave an equally icy smirk.
"Fine, I'll humor you if you promise to bring anything you get to me with full transparency before anything gets shared with that crackpot Edogawa because I don't need my rep being compromised any more by this club. Got it?" she asked, leaning against the desk.
Mukuro sighed, there was no way Natsumi could ever hope to understand the Dark Hour and if she were exposed to it at best she'd lose memory of it or at worst she'd get preyed on by Shadows and reduced to another of the Lost. Still, she was giving the impression there was something she knew, or at least suspected.
"...Deal," she said.
"Okay, last I saw her before all this, Maki was chatting with a friend of hers about bullying someone when suddenly she spaced out and acted like she was hearing someone calling her name. Her friend wasn't the one who did it, and she thought I was playing a prank. I wasn't. Didn't seem to be faking it, either, I don't really give a shit about those two anyway, they can play bad girl by the station outskirts all they want for all I care," the blonde explained dismissively.
"Takeba saw her the other day, too, she'd mentioned something about bullying," Mukuro said, recalling what Mitsuru had told her the other morning about what Yukari had seen.
"Yeah, their plaything Yamagishi called out sick that day and today, too. Fainting spells, apparently, due to her health... Oldest excuse in the book, honestly. It just stalls the inevitable unless you finally grow a spine," she mused, shaking her head with what seemed like to Mukuro almost what may pass for sympathy with her. "...But still... that moment how Maki acted was kinda weird for someone like her but I didn't give it much thought till now. Honestly, if I'd just secured Photography Club..."
"Hm?" Mukuro cocked her head in curiosity.
"...I'd not be dealing with this superstitious crap that's been giving me a literal headache, but Edogawa wants results or else he advises more directly and that sure as hell won't make it go away!" the other girl grumbled through grit teeth. "...Anyway, that satisfy you?"
"It does," Mukuro nodded, raising a brow as Natsumi reached into her handbag and took out a pair of pills. "Should you even have...?!"
"Pain-reliever pills outside the clinic? Like hell I'm going in while Edogawa's there and I said this crap was giving me a headache, didn't I? Or maybe it's allergies. Just M-Y-O-B, Ikusaba," Natsumi grumbled as she swallowed them down. "...Whatever's going on though, we're in this together, so don't hold back if you get anything juicy about all this, got it? Maybe something that I can show up Photography Club for!" she grinned.
Glass shattered within Mukuro's mind at Natsumi's having opened up a little more despite her abrasive demeanor.
"...Now, shoo! I got some things to take care of!" the blonde ordered, taking a film canister out of her bag and pointing to the door. Despite the way the conversation went, Mukuro decided as she left, she did learn a little bit more to share at the end of the week.
6/5
Friday evening had finally come around, as Yukari had gathered Mukuro and Junpei in the lounge.
"Alright, everyone," Yukari announced, "...As we agreed, we'll now hold our meeting to discuss what we learned!"
"Wow, you're really into this!" Junpei chuckled from his spot on the armchair.
"Of course I am! I have lots of good info!" Yukari declared proudly. "Annnnd it turns out, no surprise, there was no angry ghost involved!"
Junpei raised a brow at Yukari's mirth. "Oh, so that's what's so important?" he asked.
"Look, let's talk about how this rumor got started, first, alright?" replied Yukari, her statement more a command then a request. "The girl was found on school grounds, so it does match the old ghost story on that point... but why did the rumor spread so fast if it's the first time anything happened?" she asked.
"...Over the last few days since we started, she wasn't the last one," Mukuro said.
"Exactly! After that first incident, now the exact same thing's happened to two more students over the past few days this week, and all three are now hospitalized!" Yukari explained. "The school's been trying to keep it under wraps to keep students from panicking, but rumors travel fast... honestly it's no wonder people think it was a ghost."
"Apathy Syndrome has increased lately," Mukuro said.
"Correct, they show the same symptoms, yet the three students are all from different classes, and all found at the school gates. Then there's one other thing they had in common as well," Yukari explained. "...Something besides all being Gekkoukan students, it turns they all hung out together after school. All of them were reputed as being in with a bad crowd, and were always out really late. Considering they all ended up the same way it can't be coincidence."
Mukuro raised a brow as Yukari's words rang a bell. "Right, Kuzuryu mentioned they "play bad girl by the station outskirts," when I talked to her on Monday,"
"Well, that lines up pretty well with what I had in mind, actually!" Yukari said with an affirming smile. "...The one place it turns out they were all regulars: Port Island Station!"
Junpei's eyes immediately went wide. "Uhhh whoa, now! Hang on! You ain't talkin' about that spot that's behind where the monorail station is, are ya?"
"Oh! You know about it?" Yukari asked, Mukuro immediately feeling concern at the other girl's enthusiasm in her response.
"DUDE! You can't go there! I've heard all kinds of nasty rumors about that place!" Junpei protested, leaping out of his seat immediately.
"Oh really? Well, all the more reason we should all go together, then!" Yukari said, folding her arms proudly.
"You're kiddin', right?! That place is SERIOUSLY bad news!" Junpei stammered anxiously.
"I need to agree with Junpei on this," Mukuro said, standing up. "...Yukari, Akihiko and I ran into some delinquents I think may hang around that area who picked a fight with him when he and I went out to the strip mall. I don't think people you should take lightly."
"So what? If you come with, we got nothing to worry about!" said Yukari, clearly undaunted by either of the others' reluctance and earning a facepalm from the young soldier.
"...Exactly, it's not me I'm worried about, it's looking after you two. Especially you, Yukari," Mukuro sighed.
"Hey! I can handle myself just fine!" the other girl said sharply. "Up till now, all we've ever done is follow orders! Isn't it about time we really started thinking for ourselves?"
"I know what'cha mean but... man you really gotta put it like that?" Junpei protested.
Mukuro folded her arms, frowning. "...In my time in Fenrir I've been told often enough there's a line between ambition and recklessness... and I know which side this is," she argued.
Junpei sighed in defeat. "...We should just say yes, Mukuro... if we don't she'll probably just go off by herself so we may as well back her up..."
"True enough," the dark-haired girl muttered. Yukari, however, did not share their concern.
"Well great! It's settled, then!" she said with a victorious smile. "We'll go tomorrow night, so plan accordingly to leave your evening open!"
"This is totally crazy!" Junpei uttered, deflated as Yukari turned and headed upstairs. "The hell is Yuka-tan thinking?! Maybe we should tell the others!"
"Somehow I suspect even if we did, Yukari is, like you said, probably going to just sneak off and attempt it by herself," Mukuro sighed. "We may as well make sure nothing happens to her."
"Wait, you and Akihiko ran into some delinquents?" Junpei replied, eyes wide in shock.
"Yeah, when we went out for ramen together," Mukuro said, brushing back her hair. "...They weren't... a threat to us, and the police did show up in time before things got serious, but I think Yukari's overestimating herself."
"You and me both," said Junpei. "Well, hopefully it all goes smooth, you got our backs?"
Mukuro gave a small smile and an affirming nod. "I do."
"Um, by the way... the date go well, otherwise?" Junpei teased, attempting to be less anxious, but getting an unamused frown from his friend.
"Bring it up again those delinquents will be the least of your worries," she said. "Let's just be ready for tomorrow..."
6/6
"I really wasn't ready for this, Mukuro," Junpei mumbled nervously as he walked close alongside her and Yukari after disembarking from the monorail at the Port Island Station. "...Seriously, Yuka-tan, we shoulda talked about this more! This is a terrible idea! How in the world are you afraid of ghosts but you can handle stuff like Tartarus or THIS?!"
"Because stuff you can't see is way creepier," Yukari replied matter-of-factly as she lead the way down the steps and towards the outskirts, ignoring the stares the group was getting.
"Yeah, well I for one am a little more worried about things I can see, like bats and knives which they will probably have!" Junpei retorted frantically.
"Big deal, so it's a little "dangerous"!" Yukari scoffed, glancing back at her companions but not breaking stride. "...We got Mukuro with us, so what's there to worry about? We gotta strike while the iron's hot, after all!"
"That's not what I'm concerned about, Yukari," Mukuro muttered. "You can't use me as an excuse to be this reckless."
"Just stop complaining, both of you!" Yukari replied. "Think of it as an adventure, we're almost there, anyway!"
"Adventure?! More like a suicide mission!" Junpei protested as they followed Yukari down an alley to concrete steps leading down into a place where Mukuro could best attest made the back of the strip mall look positively upscale by comparison.
The smell of smoke wafted in the air, a few flickering neon signs for some upstairs clubs and bars further down the darkened alleys provided the only illumination aside from a pair of dull street lamps, rusty fences surrounding decrepit brick buildings covered in graffiti lead to another passage into complete darkness. Several dangerous-looking men stared at the small group, a few of which Mukuro recognized from when she'd went to the strip mall with Akihiko giving her a side-eye, and several young women, some of them clearly girls their age, were serving as their arm candy sharing cigarettes and likely other substances they had no business touching. Wood crates and oil drums serving as trash cans were propped about the area, serving as resting spots for bottles of alcohol. "Shady" did not even begin to describe it, Junpei had clearly not exaggerated in the least about the overall atmosphere of the place.
Yukari... what were you thinking?! Mukuro thought to herself, folding her arms and glaring back at the men that were slowly beginning to approach.
"-Tch!- Who're these kids?!" one of the men asked, cocking his head.
"Check out the rags, they must be from Gekkou High," his friend chuckled.
"Aww, man! This is even worse then I thought!" Junpei whimpered to himself, scratching the back of his head and looking at Yukari and Mukuro anxiously.
"Just stay close to me," Mukuro said softly. "That goes for you, too, Yukari."
"Don't worry about me so much!" the other girl hissed as the two young men who'd addressed them approached, towering over them.
"You must've taken a wrong turn, 'cause this place ain't for you, buddy!" the first man said, glaring dangerously at Junpei and cupping his fist like he was considering slugging him then and there.
"H-Hey, look, I...!" Junpei stammered out, breaking into a nervous sweat.
"I think what my friend here is sayin'," the second delinquent sneered, "...Is you bein' here is ruinin' our vibe, so take your ladies and beat it, Goatee!"
"Hey! We don't need your permission to be here!" Yukari snapped, stepping forward and glaring back at them defiantly.
"Are you NUTS?! Read the room, won'tcha?!" Junpei protested, staring at her in disbelief and alarm. Yukari, however, remained undaunted as she calmly folded her arms.
"I can read just fine," she said dismissively. "These punks are all talk, don't be so intimidated by them!"
"The hell'd you just say, bitch?!" the first delinquent snapped.
"I think she just called us punks," a scantily-dressed girl who couldn't have been out of high school chuckled near one of the dumpsters as she sipped a beer can.
"C'mon, why don't we snap a few photos that'll make her daddy cry!" her friend said with a smirk. "Hope you've been practicing your sexy poses!" she shouted, sharing a laugh with the other girl.
"These people really are total scum," Yukari muttered in disgust.
"Ohh, so now we're scum, huh?" the second delinquent growled, storming up to them till he was only inches away and turning his attention to Junpei again. "Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee! This noisy bitch must be a real pain in the ass, huh?"
On the last word, his fist wound back and slammed into Junpei's stomach, sending the boy to his knees, the delinquents all bursting out laughing.
"Wanna go another round?" Mukuro asked, mentally kicking herself for not seeing that coming and promptly stepping in front of Junpei as Yukari came to his side to tend to him.
"Wait a sec..." The first punk's eyes went wide as he stared at Mukuro. "You're that crazy bitch from the strip mall!"
"So you remember me, I'm impressed," Mukuro said in a cold, dangerous tone as she folded her arms, the girls with the beers ooh-ing in amusement. "We have questions about someone. Tell us what we need and we'll be on our way. Deal?"
"I think not! I still owe ya for last time!" the first punk snarled, drawing out a knife from his jacket and slashing at her. Mukuro dodged, her fist slamming hard into his solar plexus once again and causing him to choke out pained gasps as he doubled over, gagging and dropping his knife in the process which Mukuro promptly kicked away into a nearby trash pile.
"G...God... d-da-!" the man's words were promptly interrupted by a coughing fit before he promptly spat up a small puddle of bile on the pavement.
"You just made a BIG mistake!" his friend shouted, swinging his fist at her, Mukuro weaving around and this time, her hand clamping on the decorative chain connecting to his nose and ear piercing and tearing it clean out. The young man cried out in pain, his hands flying up immediately to nurse his bleeding face.
"HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK, YOU INSANE BITCH!" he wailed, blood dripping out of his wounds onto his hands as he fell to his knees as Mukuro tossed the chain back to him with a dangerous scowl on her face, even Yukari and Junpei as well as the two girls looked a little unnerved, now.
"HEY!" a gruff voice snapped harshly from down the darkened alley behind the three teens. "That's enough already!"
The group, and their would-be assailants, turned to see a surly-looking young man entering the outskirts, this one, however, the three immediately recognized by his red coat and black beanie he'd worn back when they'd last met him at the hospital when meeting up with Akihiko for his checkup.
"...No need for this," he said, glaring at the two men. "I'll make sure they leave."
"W-What?! She's the one who-!" the bleeding delinquent protested, still trying to stop his bleeding as his friend still gasped for air.
"I saw you guys start it," the young man said sharply. "Look, they didn't know what they were getting into so I'll make 'em go away."
"Look what that bitch did to my face, you dumbass! I ain't lettin' 'em leave!" the delinquent seethed, standing up and doing his best to ignore his obvious injury as he approached the young man.
The young man promptly leaned back before sharply launching himself forward, headbutting the delinquent and causing even further damage to his face then he'd already had as the punk's nose had gone from bleeding out a wound to now likely broken as he staggered backward, nursing his face that was now a complete mess.
"Son of a bitch! You... crossed a... line, man!" the punk stammered, gritting his teeth furiously. "You think any'a you... are goin' home alive, now?!"
The red-coated young man chuckled. "I saw how that one handled herself," he said, glancing over at Mukuro who was now helping Junpei up and positioning herself in front of the other boy and Yukari.
"You sure you want to try your luck against us both?" Mukuro asked, glaring at the punk and his friend, who was still recovering from the punch she'd given him.
"She's got a point," the young man in the red coat said with a dangerous smirk and balling his fists. "...Shall we find out if you're really up for it or you wanna just call it a night?"
The punk remained a silent a moment, his wide eyes looking at Mukuro and the red-coated young man with fear before stepping back a pace. "N-No... m-maybe not!" he stuttered, trying to ignore the jeers at him from the girls drinking beer that followed.
"You're... Aragaki, right?" the other punk snarled, catching his breath as he nursed his chest. "Yeah... I know you... Shijiro Aragaki? You're from Gekkou High, too, right?"
"L-Let's go, man! This ain't worth it!" the bloody delinquent pleaded, grabbing his friend's arm and the two promptly left in a haste.
"You alright?" the red-coated boy, Shinjiro, asked, glancing back at the three teens before his eyes went wide with recognition. "...Wait a sec, I know you three. You all were in Aki's room at the hospital, right?"
"Heh, yeah, that's us, Senpai!" Junpei said with a sheepish grin, but the other boy's expression only hardened to an angry scowl.
"The hell were you thinking coming down here? Are you idiots?!" Shinjiro snapped.
"Hey, Mukuro handled herself just fine!" Yukari protested.
"That's beside the point! There's no need to come down here looking for trouble!" said Shinjiro.
"That's what I've been saying, but we actually had a reason for coming here," replied Mukuro.
"...What, did Aki send you?" Shinjiro asked, raising a brow in annoyance. "I don't care how skilled you are, young lady, brawling with delinquents seems a little pointless, 'specially if any cops hear you."
"No, it's about the ghost story rumor going on," Mukuro replied. "You know anything?"
Shinjiro scoffed. "I know enough. If I tell you, will you leave quickly?"
"Sure! Do you know about the girls in the hospital?" Yukari asked.
"Yeah, they came here every night, thinking they were all badass bragging about stuff they did to a girl named Fuuka Yamagishi," Shinjiro explained.
"Yamagishi," Mukuro's eyes went wide with realization. "...Kuzuryu mentioned her when I asked her about it, said the first girl bullied her."
"Yeah, I remember, Fuuka Yamagishi was in class 2-E as well!" Junpei said.
"That's right, so the rumor goes it's Fuuka's spirit doing this in revenge," Shinjiro continued.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" asked Yukari.
"You don't know?" Shinjiro asked, scoffing. "...This Yamagishi girl might be dead. I hear she hasn't been home all week, no one knows what happened to her, not even her parents."
"Wait, I thought she was callin' out and recovering!" Junpei gasped. "So she's missing, and no one's seen her the whole week?!"
"Kuzuryu said something about fainting spells being why Yamagishi called out," Mukuro said. "That was on Monday, though, and she was missing Saturday, too."
"That's twice in a row already by then," Yukari said, before her eyes suddenly went wide as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait, they're in the same class, aren't they? She must've heard about that from Mr. Ekoda, he's the homeroom teacher for 2-E! Does this mean he knows about all this?"
"If she hasn't been callin' and her parents are lookin' for her, think he was coverin' for her?" Junpei asked.
"...Or covering it up," Yukari mused, folding her arms in thought.
"...Still tryin' to make up for the past, Aki?" Shinjiro mumbled to himself as he glanced away from the group. "...it's you who can't let go..."
"Hm?" Yukari looked at him in curiosity.
"Nothing," said Shinjiro, a hint of sharpness in his tone. "Anyway, that's all I know, so you done here?"
"Totally! Thanks alot!" Junpei said hastily, taking off his hat and bowing in appreciation.
"Yes, thank you for sharing that with us," Yukari said, bowing as well.
"We appreciate it," Mukuro said with a polite bow of her own.
"It was very nice of you!" Yukari added with a smile.
Shinjiro glared in silence for a moment at Yukari's remark before speaking. "...Thank me by not coming here again, got it?"
Turning, the other boy left without another word.
"I guess we got what we came for," said Yukari. "...Let's head back to the dorm."
"Man, I'm soaked in sweat," Junpei groaned, still nursing where he'd been punched as Mukuro lead the way back and opened the door inside to the dorm. "Still, what that Aragaki-san told us was pretty shocking, wasn't it?"
"It does answer a few things, but it also raises more questions, especially about what Mr. Ekoda might know," Yukari said.
"What's this about Aragaki?" Akihiko's voice interrupted.
The three promptly stopped, greeted with a stern Mitsuru and Akihiko standing at the registry desk.
"And where were you three?" she asked sharply.
"Um, getting info about the ghost story and those three girls?" Junpei asked nervously.
"Be more specific," Akihiko said, regarding them with suspicion. "You mentioned Aragaki. I know where he hangs out, don't tell me you three went out there."
"Hey! Point is we got some information!" Yukari said hastily.
"It better be worth going to a place like that for, Takeba, so all of you choose your words carefully," Mitsuru warned.
"According to him, the "ghost" everyone thinks is doing this is Fuuka Yamagishi. She's been missing since Saturday, apparently," Mukuro explained.
"And not only that, we think her homeroom teacher might already know this and was covering it up!" Yukari added.
Mitsuru sighed. "I can't approve of what you did, but that said, it seems what began as a ghost story has turned into something deeper. We'll need to investigate, then."
"To be frank, there is a limit to how reckless you can get away with being, doing something like that, you three!" Akihiko said sternly. "...Mukuro, I appreciate you watching their backs but you coulda told us what you had in mind." The boy shook his head. "...I guess, though, I should at least be relieved you all made it back in one piece, and found out what you did."
"You were worried for me?" Mukuro asked.
"Of course I was!" said Akihiko sharply, getting upset again. "...Mukuro, I know you can handle yourself, but... please, be more careful next time and just stay away from there from now on, alright?"
Mukuro could feel her cheeks redden a little, causing her to look away sharply a moment till it faded before looking back and nodding. "I... appreciate it. I apologize, too, for doing that."
Akihiko gave a faint smile. "Thanks. Just... stay outta trouble, okay?"
"I will," Mukuro said, nodding once more. "...I'm sorry I worried you, and we probably should have told you."
"Don't worry, I ain't goin' near that place anymore!" Junpei said, heading to the back where the kitchen was. "...I'm gonna get some ice."
"Why do you need that, Iori?" Mitsuru asked, alarmed.
"Nothin', don't worry about it!" Junpei called with a light, bitter chuckle from the kitchen.
Mitsuru sighed, glaring at the remaining two. "...Understand we're thankful for what you learned so I'll let you all off this time, but pull a stunt like that again and I promise merciless punishment, understood?" she asked in a dangerous tone.
"W-We promise," Yukari said, red and looking away ashamed.
"It won't happen again," Mukuro said, her own conscience feeling the weight of Mitsuru's iron gaze as well.
"...Now, at any rate, tomorrow's Sunday, so everyone keep your Monday free as a lot will be carried out regarding the Fuuka case at school," Mitsuru explained. "...On top of that, it's also going to be a full moon that evening, so everyone be ready for that too, if anything happens as well. I advise getting your rest tomorrow."
"...Right," Yukari uttered, sighing and staring at the wall with feigned interest as Mitsuru and Akihiko headed upstairs. "...Mukuro?"
The young soldier looked over at her. "Hm?"
"...Sorry for dragging you both into that," Yukari said softly. "I wanted to prove I wasn't a chicken and instead I acted like a total idiot. If you'd not come, and Aragaki hadn't shown up to break it all up... I don't wanna think what could have happened..."
"Yeah, let's, like... never do that again, 'kay?" Junpei asked, emerging from the kitchen with a baggy full of ice pressed against his chest.
"I said I was sorry!" Yukari sighed audibly, but her embarrassment still evident on her face. "...It was really reckless of me. I'm glad we made it out okay and things didn't get worse," she explained. "...Still, that guy, Shinjiro Aragaki... he really didn't seem so bad under that tough act, did he?"
"I suppose not," said Mukuro. "It was good of him to tell us what we needed, though."
Yukari managed a smile. "I guess it just means one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, right?" she asked. "...He seemed nice. I just wonder what he was doing in a place like that, though."
"Dunno," Mukuro shrugged. It seemed he and Akihiko were friends on some level, or at least knew eachother considering he'd visited him at the hospital, and having mentioned him by a nickname a few times. Still, it didn't feel polite to ask about it and Mukuro did not consider herself one to pry in matters that seemed especially private.
"Well, we probably should turn in for the evening, it's getting pretty late," Yukari said, heading to the stairs and inviting Mukuro to follow. "...We wanna be ready for Monday, after all, what with school and whatever Mitsuru-senpai has planned."
Mukuro recalled how the strange boy had appeared during the Dark Hour warning her another ordeal would come then with a full moon expected to be that evening. Just two days away and she'd find out exactly what that ordeal would be this time.
"Yeah, we should," she said with a nod as she parted ways with Yukari at the end of the hall and unlocking her dorm room door.
With any luck, they'd overcome this impending ordeal the boy spoke of, and find out what had happened to Fuuka and the girls who'd fallen victim to whatever phenomenon was now plaguing the school.
A/N: Did a little skipping but hope you all enjoyed this chapter I was able to get finished before my week off vacation from my irl job ended! Next time on Fenrir's Masquerade, we have the big full moon mission and rescuing Fuuka!
0 - The Fool - SEES: Rank 3
I - The Magician - Junpei Iori: Rank 4
IV - The Emperor - Kiyotaka Ishimaru: Rank 2
V - The Hierophant - Bookstore Owners: Rank 3
VI - The Lovers - Yukari Takeba: Rank 2
VII - The Chariot - Aoi Asahina: Rank 3
IX - The Hermit - "MARY": Rank 3
XII - The Hanged Man - Seiko Kimura: Rank 3
XIV - Temperance - Sonia Nevermind: Rank 1
XVI - The Tower - Natsumi Kuzuryu: Rank 3
Mukuro's Personas: Omoikane, Jack Frost, Jack O Lantern, Inugami, Nigi Mitama, Zouchouten, Gurulu, Tam Lin